Mary Cullinan: Yes, a college education can be affordable

Elena Calderon is a first-generation college student who graduated from Eastern Washington University with two degrees and zero debt.

This isn’t the story you’re used to reading about. The media are full of horrifying anecdotes, highlighting an unemployed art major who left college owing $100,000. State and federal legislators cite student debt as a national calamity. The standard narrative is negative: As a result, many students, rather than being excited for the college journey that lies ahead, focus on the debt they fear will overwhelm them.

Of course, the college and university experience used to be more affordable. Public universities and community colleges were created by states committed to having a college-educated populace. Alumni here in Washington talk about how, 30 years ago, they could save up for the next year of college by working a summer job.

The funding model changed. Beset by competing needs, cash-strapped states stepped away from funding colleges and universities, arguing that those institutions have a revenue source (tuition) that other state agencies do not. For over a decade, the cost of higher education has been shifting from the state to the student.

Nonetheless, college is still one of the best investments you can make. Not only is there a significant gap between the lifetime earnings of college and high school graduates, but college graduates are often physically and emotionally as well as financially healthier than individuals with only a high school diploma.

And the hype about horrendous debt is often that – hype. Some of the terrifying data the media use include debt incurred by students in post-baccalaureate programs and students attending private and for-profit universities. Undergraduates at public comprehensive universities have a different story. Moreover, Washington is labeled a “low debt state” by the Institute for College Access and Success: Average college debt in our state is $24,600.

Cost of attendance at EWU is among the lowest of Washington’s state universities. Almost half of Eastern Washington University students graduate with no debt at all.

Attending college is still more expensive than we’d like, but we work hard to keep students and their families informed about grant and scholarship opportunities as well as about money management.

Because Elena Calderon is undocumented, she was ineligible for financial aid. However, she learned about alternatives: scholarships from her hometown, EWU scholarships, part-time jobs.

As an undergraduate, Elena participated in financial-management classes; she learned the importance of relationships with professors and the process for requesting letters of recommendation and for maintaining an active resume.

Students perceive scholarship applications as time consuming. But it’s time well spent. The hours Elena spent on applying for scholarships helped her graduate debt-free.

During her senior year of college, Elena was eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and received a work permit. While working toward her master’s degree, she applied for assistantships that provided tuition waivers as well as stipends. To further alleviate financial burdens, Elena had a part-time job working with an immigration lawyer in Spokane.

Elena is not alone. Thousands of students figure out ways to graduate with minimal debt. We’re not saying it’s easy. No one should underestimate the challenges students and their families face.

But the media should tell the stories of possibility, not just the anecdotes about overwhelming debt. Prospective students can be so daunted by the specter of debt that they don’t even consider applying to college. That is a tragedy for them and for our communities.

Most of us remember stories more than we remember data points. So, when you’re thinking about student debt, think about Elena.

And let’s not use horror stories to block students’ path to success.

Mary Cullinan is president of Eastern Washington University. Elena Calderon, a 2016 graduate of EWU, was consulted in the writing of this column.